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The shelves of Bon Ton Bakery are full of Christmas baking.Photo: Shaughn Butts

Liane Faulder

Published: December 6, 2018 - 1:28 PM

Some of our favourite Christmas treats have arrived on the YEG food scene, just in time to rescue our sanity.

Over at Bon Ton Bakery, store manager Gerry Semler notes that their updated fruit cake, Fruit Cake 2.0, has been well-received. Made with dried fruit (rather than fruit glacé) that’s been soaked in rum for a couple of weeks, Fruit Cake 2.0 is also nut-free.

“It tastes lighter than our traditional cake, but it has that rum flavour and the millennials are loving it,” says Semler.

Of course, the traditional cake is also on the shelves, plus the bakery’s delicious panforte, a dense, nutty square that includes tasty bites of figs, honey and cocoa. Watch also for stollen, that cake-like fruit bread that’s perfect with coffee for Christmas morning gift-opening. Bon Ton is at 8720 149 St.

The Highlevel Diner (10912 88 Ave.) wants the fans of its tourtiére to know that the traditional French Canadian savoury pies are available to eat in the restaurant throughout the season, and also for order and pickup to take home. If you order the tourtiére to eat in the restaurant, a dollar from each plate goes to the Christmas Bureau.

Head chef Adam Stoyko describes the tourtiére as a blend of aromatic spices, potato, onion, beef, pork and turkey (the proteins are locally produced, antibiotic and hormone free). The take-home pie feeds six to eight ($33) and you can also purchase house-made chutneys for an extra $7 to serve with the pie. Call 780-433-0993 to order.